‘Return to the European fold’, SNP urges Number 10

The SNP has urged the UK Government to “return to the European fold” on the fifth anniversary of Brexit.

The UK left the European Union on January 31 2020, ending the arduous process of reaching a deal with the bloc after the Brexit referendum of 2016.

But the SNP has argued the move was “political and economic madness” as they pushed for its reversal.

Research commissioned by the party from the House of Commons library suggested the UK’s cumulative GDP since 2019 had grown slower than the 27 countries in the EU – 3.4% compared to 5.3% – though the figures from the research shows the UK’s GDP growing faster after the pandemic than the bloc.

The value of exports to the EU have dropped from £216 billion in 2019 to £187 billion, while imports fell from £309 billion to £301 billion.

The SNP’s Europe spokesman, Stephen Gethins, said: “For five years, Westminster’s deliberate and damaging denial of Brexit has hit people in the pocket, hurt our businesses and harmed our relationship with our nearest neighbours.

“It was political and economic madness five years ago – and its damage is deepening by the day.

“It was a decision Scotland never voted for but we have been left paying the price, at a cost of billions of pounds in lost trade, investment and growth every single year.

“Sir Keir Starmer has spent an awful lot of time talking about a reset with our EU partners but the reality is that the only reset which will work is to – at the very least – rejoin the EU single market and the customs union.

“Instead of sticking their heads firmly in the sand for another five years, it’s time for the Labour government to recognise that this is the only route to recovery and the only economic escape from broken Brexit Britain.

“Five years on, it’s time to end the isolationism and return to the European fold.”

Mr Gethins comments came as Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton urged the UK Government to seek a customs deal with the EU.

“We cannot just sit by and watch the damage wreaked by Brexit go from bad to worse,” he said.

“The UK must be far more positive, ambitious and urgent in building back ties with our closest trading partners.

“A customs union deal presents a key opportunity to turbocharge the economy- it’s why my party want to see the Government negotiating one in the course of the next five years.”

Speaking on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Government’s approach to working with the EU is to strengthen our ties on security and defence, improve the relationship on trade and investment and work with the EU to identify areas which are in the UK’s national interest.

“You can see through the work we’ve done so far working towards a security partnership, committing to six-monthly foreign policy dialogues, that we’re taking an approach that supports our ambitions to deliver greater safety, security and prosperity across the UK.”